TORONTO—Member of Parliament Kevin Vuong attended Shen Yun’s evening show at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on April 2. As a proud Canadian of Chinese heritage, Mr. Vuong was very happy to see so much of his culture on display.
“It was incredible. As a member of the Parliament, I’m so grateful that Shen Yun chose to make Toronto a part of its world tour. I feel fortunate to have been able to see it myself,” he said.
Once known as the “Land of the Divine,” ancient Chinese people believed that their civilization was a gift from the heavens. For 5,000 years, China’s culture was built on the values and virtues inspired by the spiritual teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism.
Mr. Vuong was especially touched by Shen Yun’s two story-based dances that raised awareness of the ongoing human rights violations in present-day China.
“Shen Yun is a very important reminder for those of us here about some of the universal human rights that we take for granted,” he said.
Mr. Vuong said that seeing the artists’ display of pre-communist China brings him “a lot of hope.” He saw in Shen Yun “what is possible for not just China but the world.”
“There are more things that bring us together than separate us. I think it’s important that we remember that today and tomorrow,” he added.
“Kindness and compassion were important themes that came out of Shen Yun’s performance, but also the importance of faith. My faith [plays] an important part in guiding my life and I think that’s not a bad thing—especially today where there are so many challenges and so many issues.”
Also in the audience was member of provincial parliament Sheref Sabawy. He too thought the performance was amazing, and 2024 actually marked Mr. Sabawy’s fourth time seeing Shen Yun.
“This is amazing. In Canada here, especially in Ontario, we’re very proud that we are multi-diverse. We enjoy learning about different elements of the Canadian fabric through direct interaction,” he said.
“What’s amazing about [Shen Yun] is the mixing of traditional stories with technology—how it integrated the performance with the background. It gives a very, very impressive performance.”
“I also come from a culture that’s 6,000 years old. So, I can understand, I can connect, and I can relate. Culture gives tradition, gives life, and allows us to pass it on to the next generation. Even if [our descendants] don’t live in that country, they still have it inside them.”
For Mr. Sabawy, “tradition is 100 percent important” because “it makes us who we are today.”
“If the stories are not meaningful and not connecting to the people, they wouldn’t have lived for thousands of years,” he said.
“You have to see it, of course. I saw it [before and] I come every year,” he said.
